This presentation summarizes Elizabeth Reis's article "Impossible Hermaphrodites: Intersex in America, 1620-1960" which explores the history and changing perceptions of intersex people in America. It discusses early beliefs that viewed intersex births as punishments from God. Through the 1800s and 1900s, medicine increasingly saw intersex as a medical condition. However, intersex people were still seen as deceptive and unnatural. The 20th century saw the rise of corrective surgeries to assign intersex babies a sex. While views are improving, activists still fight rigid definitions of sex and challenge standard surgical practices.

1. An Exploration of the History behind Perceptions of Intersex People in America Presentation by Joanie Gentile

2. Intro to Presentation This presentation is an exploration of the history of intersex people in America from 1620 until 1960. The presentation is based of Elizabeth Reis’s article “ I mpossible Hermaphrodites: Intersex in America, 1620-1960”

3. Intro to Presentation Continued This presentations aims to provide an overview of the main points and arguments of Reis’s article as well as providing information on the most important case studies and publications discussed in the article

11. Masterpiece Image from Aristotle's Master-Piece, 1697

12. Masterpiece Continued This publication suggested that the thoughts and actions of pregnant women could result in birth deformities (including intersex births) Image from Showhistory.com

17. Conclusions on Hall As Reis points out, the courts decision was probably not a case of a progressive court accepting intersex people, but more likely the court trying to make Hall out as a public embarrassment discouraging others to follow his/her example. Image from Uen.org

20. Parsons Conclusions He concluded that a sex must be chosen for all intersex babies based on the the male or female anatomy they most closely matched.

22. 1800’s-1900’s Continued Even with the advances in medicine, intersex people still carry the stigma of monsters and are generally viewed as deceitful, untrustworthy, and unnatural people. Image from letthedogin.com

30. References Reis, Elizabeth. I mpossible Hermaphrodites: Intersex in America, 1620-1960. The Journal of American History 92 (2005): 411-441. Print. reis-intersex-us-1620-1960.pdf